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Stipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a new species fromSicilyD. Cataldo a , S. A. Giardina b , B. Moraldo c & F. M. Raimondo da Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Palermo,Catania, Italyb Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità, Cefal[ugrave], Italyc Istituto FF. Maristi, Taormina, Italyd Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Palermo,Palermo, Italy

Accepted author version posted online: 18 Jun 2012. Version of record first published: 05Jul 2012

To cite this article: D. Cataldo, S. A. Giardina, B. Moraldo & F. M. Raimondo (2012): Stipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a newspecies from Sicily, Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology: Official Journal ofthe Societa Botanica Italiana, DOI:10.1080/11263504.2012.700961

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Stipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a new species from Sicily

D. CATALDO1, S. A. GIARDINA2, B. MORALDO3, & F. M. RAIMONDO4

1Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversita, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Catania, Italy;2Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversita, Cefal�u, Italy; 3Istituto FF. Maristi, Taormina, Italy;4Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversita, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

AbstractA new species of Stipa, endemic to Sicily, named Stipa valdemonensis is described here. The new taxon is related to Stipacrassiculmis. Owing to the small number of individuals observed, in few restricted localities only, it is assigned the IUCNthreat status ‘‘vulnerable’’.

Keywords: Sicilian flora, Stipa, Mediterranean islands, taxonomy

Introduction

In the course of floristic surveys for orchid mapping,

in the area between the Nebrodi Mountains and

Peloritani Mountains at the western outskirts of

Mt. Etna, in northeast Sicily, D. Cataldo and S.A.

Giardina recorded several Stipa individuals in two

restricted localities that were apparently not referable

to any taxon so far known in Sicily. Further field

observations and herbarium analyses, also involving

B. Moraldo and F.M. Raimondo, finally allowed to

identify the plants under study as representing an

independent species of Stipa crassiculmis Smirnov. In

order to better delimit distribution and size of the

population, new field surveys were carried out in

other nearby areas, so that a third locality was found.

The new Stipa population was first discovered in

May 2009 on the southern side of Punta Castelluzzo

and on the slopes of Serro Valle Scuri, two

contiguous differently facing sites, between 650 and

900 m. a.s.l., in the territory of Mojo Alcantara

(Messina). The second locality was found soon after

in the Roccella Valdemone (Messina) territory, in the

suburban park ‘‘Za Draga’’. This locality, lying on

the southern side of Rocca Za Draga, is between 700

and 800 m a.s.l.. Finally, the third locality was found

in May 2011, 6 km north of the town of Montalbano

Elicona (Messina). It lies in a place known as ‘‘Santa

Maria’’, about 750 m a.s.l., on a disturbed slope,

above the road to the next village.

Taxonomy

Taking into account all of the characteristics of the

group of Stipa crassiculmis, sensu Martinovsky &

Moraldo (1980), and after the most closely related

taxa belonging to it were critically analyzed, the

Sicilian population is here described as a new species

named Stipa valdemonensis.

Stipa valdemonensis Cataldo, S.A. Giardina,

Moraldo & Raimondo sp. nova (Figure 1).

Holotype: Sicilia, Mojo Alcantara (Messina), versante

meridionale di Punta Castelluzzo, lungo i fianchi

di Serro Valle Scuri, su affioramenti costituiti

da argilloscisti carboniosi, 650–900 m (a.s.l.),

37854056.9400N – 158020012.6800E, 24.05.2010, D.

Cataldo & S. A. Giardina (PAL; isotypes: CAT, FI,

PAL.

Iconography: Figure 1.

Diagnosis: Herba caespitosa perennis, culmis robustis

50–80 cm altis. Foliorum vaginae pilosae, suprema

ore ad 10 mm lata, basin paniculae amplectens; ligula

Correspondence: Francesco M. Raimondo, Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversita, Universita degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123

Palermo, Italy. Tel: þ39 09123891243. Fax þ39 0916238260. Email: francesco.raimondo@unipa.it

Plant Biosystems, 2012; 1–6, iFirst article

ISSN 1126-3504 print/ISSN 1724-5575 online ª 2012 Societa Botanica Italiana

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2012.700961

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foliorum basalium 1–1.6 mm culmorum 3–6 mm

longae; lamina in statu conduplicato juncea, folior-

um inferiorum scabrae, superiorum extus glabrae

intussecus costas papillis conicis minutissimis (ca.

0.02 mm altis) spinuloso-tuberculatis. Panicula

depauperata, 6–8-spiculata. Glumae subaequales,

5–7 cm longae, acuminatae; lemma 2.1–2.4 cm long-

um, lineis pilorum 7 ornatum, quarum dorsalis et

subdorsales subaequilongae dimidium lemmatis non-

nusquam superantes, marginales insertionem aristae

attingentes et abhinc in appendices binas ciliatas

protractae; arista bis geniculata, 30–35(737) cm

longa; columna scabriuscula; seta pilis 4–6 mm longis

plumosa.

Eponymy: The specific epithet refers to the ancient

name (Valdemone Mountains) with which the N-

eastern Sicilian range was known up to the 19th

century.

Description: Perennial caespitose herb with robust,

50–80 cm high culms. Culm sheaths up to 10 mm

Figure 1. Iconography of Stipa valdemonensis: (a) entire plant; (b) culm; (c) lemma; (d–e) sections of leaf.

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wide apically, clasping the base of the panicule. Leaf

sheaths hairy; ligules of basal leaves 1–1.6 mm, of

culm leaves 3–6 mm long; lower blades scabrous, the

upper ones glabrous outside, inside with ribs covered

with aculeolate 0.02 mm high conical tubercles.

Panicle depauperate, with 6–8 spikelets. Glumes

subequal, 5–7 cm long, acuminate; lemma 2.1–

2.4 cm long, with hairs in seven lines, the dorsal

and subdorsal ones subequal, sometimes exceeding

one half of the lemma, the marginal ones reaching the

basis of the arista and extending into ciliate auricles;

arista twice geniculate, 30–35(–37) cm long; column

scabrous, seta plumose, with 4–6 mm long hairs.

Phenology: Flowering and fruiting period: May to

July.

Chorology and ecology

Distribution (Figure 2): As known so far, Stipa

valdemonensis occurs scattered in northeast Sicily,

confined to a small area at the western border of the

Etna region, between the Nebrodi and the Peloritani

Mountains. The population of Montalbano extends

over less than 200 m2, those of Mojo Alcantara and

Roccella Valdemone over ca. 5 and 2 hectares,

respectively.

Ecology (Figures 3–6): All three localities are situated

between 650 and 900 m a.s.l.. Like the other

representatives of Stipa crassiculmis, S. valdemonensis

occurs on Mediterranean hillsides in sub-arid mea-

dows, on limestone, where several hemicryptophytes

and geophytes are dominant. Owing to the sporadic

occurrence of Quercus ilex L., Q. pubescens Willd.

(aggr.), Fraxinus ornus L. and Pyrus spinosa Forsk.,

these communities fall within the potential Quercion

ilicis belt (Bazan et al. 2010). Stipa valdemonensis

Figure 2. Distribution of Stipa valdemonensis in Sicily (.).

Figure 3. Awns of Stipa valdemonensis from the type material.

Stipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a new species 3

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occurs on long abandoned fields, where Ferula

communis L., Asphodelus ramosus L., Hyparrhenia

hirta (L.) Stapf, Euphorbia rigida M. Bieb., Phlomis

fruticosa L., Pallenis spinosa (L.) Cass., Carlina

gummifera (L.) Less., Avena barbata Pott ex Link,

Echium italicum L., Anisantha madritensis (L.) Nevski,

Achnatherum bromoides (L.) P. Beauv., Stipa capensis

Thunb. and Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (Poir.) T.

Durand & Schinz abound. This vegetation mostly

belongs to the association Thapsio-Feruletum commu-

nis Bartolo, Brullo, Minissale & Spampinato, which

is widespread in Sicily (Bartolo et al. 1990).

Status: Owing to the restricted distribution, the small

population size and the low number of individuals

known so far, the status ‘‘Vulnerable’’ (according to

IUCN 2001) is assigned to S. valdemonensis.

Remarks and taxonomic relationships

According to Martinovsky et al. (1975), Stipa

crassiculmis subsp. picentina occurs in Sicily. That

report is based on a specimen from the limestone

mountains of Palermo identified in WU as ‘‘Stipa

pennata’’ and cited by Moraldo (1986): Palermo, in

Figure 5. Stipa valdemonensis in the Roccella Valdemone locality (photograph by D. Cataldo).

Figure 4. Stipa valdemonensis in the locus classicus (Mojo Alcantara) (photograph by D. Cataldo).

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Figure 6. Stipa valdemonensis in the Montalbano locality (photograph by D. Cataldo).

montibus aridis, s.d., Reina (WU). This same taxon

was also reported from Ficuzza (Palermo) by

Gianguzzi et al. (2004) and, subsequently, by

Giardina et al. (2007), but its presence was later

considered as doubtful (Conti et al. 2007). Probably,

the population of Stipa from the cited locality is to be

identified with S. sicula Moraldo, Caputo, La Valva

& Ricciardi (Raimondo et al. 2004). The report of

Gianguzzi et al. (2004) – in the lack of other

specimens collected by the same authors (Gianguzzi,

in litteris) – should, therefore, be referred to S. sicula.

Recently, Raimondo et al. (2010) excluded Stipa

crassiculmis subsp. picentina from the Sicilian flora.

Stipa valdemonensis differs from S. crassiculmis

(including its subspecies) not only by the overall size

of the awns. Typical characteristics of S. crassiculmis

shared by S. valdemonensis are the inflated uppermost

leaf sheath (hence the epithet ‘‘crassiculmis’’), the

glabrous and aculeolate ribs in the inner lamina, and

the often more than 30-cm long arista.

Conclusions

In the past few years, taxonomic studies on the

vascular flora of Italy resulted both in the revision of

some critical groups (e.g., Bancheva et al. 2011) and in

the description of new species in various genera, such

as Lathyrus (Conti 2010) and Linum (Peruzzi 2011).

The description of a new Stipa species, presumed to be

endemic to Sicily, belongs to that same context.

Owing to its characteristics, S. valdemonensis belongs

to the S. crassiculmis group as defined by Martinovsky

& Moraldo (1980).

Other specimens

Sicily: Roccella Valdemone (Messina), Parco subur-

bano ‘‘Za Draga’’, 37855036.6300N – 15800055.3300E,

09.05.2010, D. Cataldo & S.A. Giardina (PAL);

Montalbano Elicona (Messina) Contrada Santa Mar-

ia, 38802037.6900N – 14859041.5800E, 07.06.2011,

D. Cataldo (PAL); Mojo Alcantara (Messina),

versante meridionale di Punta Castelluzzo, lungo i

fianchi di Serro Valle Scuri, su affioramenti costituiti

da argilloscisti carboniosi, 650–900 m (a.s.l.),

37854056.9400N – 15802012.6800E, 09.05.2011, D.

Cataldo & S. A. Giardina (CAT, FI, PAL).

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Professor Paolo

Colombo for his useful morphological analysis;

Professors Pietro Mazzola and Werner Greuter for

their suggestions and critical revision of the text; and

the University of Palermo, the Fondazione Inter-

nazionale pro Herbario Mediterraneo (Palermo) and

the Fondazione per la Flora Italiana (Florence) for

financial support.

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